


The Hurt Behind Your Eyes

by ES_Rowan



Series: Strange Magic [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cute, Cute Vision (Marvel), F/M, Fluff, Hurt Wanda Maximoff, Nightmares, Pre-Relationship, Protective Vision (Marvel), Sweet, Sweet Vision (Marvel), Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:15:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27496291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ES_Rowan/pseuds/ES_Rowan
Summary: After watching the city of Lagos crumble to ash in front of her eyes night after night in dreams, Wanda is in desperate need of someone to comfort her.  Thankfully, Vision has designated himself her nightly protector and is, as always, more than happy to help.Strange Magic is a series of snippets and moments in time between Wanda and Vision, in no particular order.
Relationships: Wanda Maximoff & Vision, Wanda Maximoff/Vision
Series: Strange Magic [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2007952
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	The Hurt Behind Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Marvel or any of the characters.  
> I am using them purely for fun and creative purposes!

He watches over her most nights.

Not in a way that violated her privacy, of course, but he knows she has nightmares that disturb her rest; ones that wake her sobbing and shaking, sheets damp with sweat and her skin cold.

And so, he watches over her, a silent guardian, so that she never wakes alone, heart beating frantically as she searches the dark for something to hold onto; an anchor to ground her.

Tonight is one of those nights.

He feels her pain before he hears her calling out in her sleep and he’s there in a thought, phasing through the wall -  _ Vis, we talked about this! _ \- and kneeling by her bedside, one hand on her head, smoothing her hair away from her face.

Her eyes flicker under her lids, seeing things he cannot and he wonders, not for the first time, if their connection is strong enough to let him into her mind the way she could enter his.

He raised his other hand, fingertips lightly brushing her forehead as he closed his eyes and focused his mind.

_ Let me in, Wanda, let me see what troubles your sleep so badly. _

**Chaos.**

**Rubble and smoke, a building tumbling like a childs toy blocks to the ground; the cacophony of people screaming and crying among the never-ending wail of sirens.**

**Red tendrils of magic snaking around the broken foundations, bricks and mortar and twisted metal drifting down like autumn leaves on the tidal wave of magic.**

**She kneels amidst it all, scarlet wisps moving like water around her body as she curls in on herself; eyes blankly staring at the first responders as they carry stretchers out of the burning building, black bags zipped up tight or gasping bodies, starved for oxygen strapped in with masks clamped over their faces delivering life.**

**Cameras whir and click and flash, the sound of paparazzi crawling over the scene like cockroaches.**

**She feels a scream forming in her throat, something tight in her chest like pressure, like she’s about to break apart, like she’s about to shatter when she sees her team turn to face her; faces tear-streaked and pale with shock. They walk towards her, hands out and perhaps they will help her, surely they will help her?**

**They drag her to her feet, spin her to see the destruction; hold her head in place and force her to watch the endless stream of bodies being carried from the wreckage as they hiss at her that she did this, her magic, her fault; she is to blame, she was never welcome with them, never wanted and now? Oh, now she will be cast out, thrown out like refuse and left to be hunted for her crimes.**

**Her legs buckle, she sinks to the ground; their hands gripping her arms and shoulders so painfully they bruise, her skin scraped raw by their touch as her magic snakes around her, it’s strong and bright like the fire consuming the city around them. Her eyes glow, her skin illuminates from within as the magic takes on it’s own life and this is exactly what she was scared of, what frightens her the most and when her skin cracks with the sheer force of the power building inside her it’s almost a relief.**

**She splits open slowly, skin peeling and she is** **_flayed_ ** **by it; crumbling under the touch of her teammates as they watch her, impassive and silent while she turns to ash and ignites. . .**

Vision gasps, snatching his hand back as Wanda bolts upright, hands at her throat, clutching and scrabbling as she tries to suck in lungfuls of air.

“Wanda, shh,” Vision is there instantly, taking her hands away from her throat and holding them gently; his thumbs rubbing slow, careful circles on her palms.

“I couldn’t stop it, I was there again and it keeps happening and I couldn’t stop it -” she is babbling, a torrent of words erupting from her lips and tumbling out and Vision curls a hand around the back of her head, kisses her forehead and then brings her forehead against his.

“It’s alright,” he murmurs, “breathe with me.”

Once her breathing has calmed, she opens her eyes and looks at him; bright blue eyes, the colour of the ocean under the sun that study her intently and she feels as though he sees right through her,  _ into her _ . 

The sensation of it is shocking in the best possible way.

“How did you know?” She asked, her voice quiet in the dark room. Vision blinks, his eyes going from intense to confused and she squeezes his hand. “How did you know I needed you?”

“Ah,” he clears his throat, a strangely  _ human  _ gesture, Wanda thinks with an inward smile and returns the squeeze. “I felt your pain, as clear as if it were happening to me. I, ah. . .”

“Vis, what?”

“I have been watching over you. While you sleep.”

Wanda moves back, away from him and the warmth of his touch and he instantly regrets admitting it when her eyes slant away from him and she catches her lower lip between her teeth.

“I should not have. . .” he stands, feeling helpless and as though something has sunk like a stone inside him, “I’ll leave you to. . .”

“Why?” She whispers. “Why do you do that?”

He weighs up his words carefully - does he give her the truth, pure and unfiltered as he has been wanting to for weeks now, ever since they cooked together in the kitchen; or does he give her a lie, something constructed to shield himself?

“I care about you,” the truth wins out, apparently and he steels himself for ire or mockery. “I wish to protect you from harm; wherever that harm comes from. Your nightmares seem to trouble you, badly so, and I wished to help. I did not mean to intrude or cause distress, Wanda. I merely wanted to be there for you, to offer comfort if I could.”

“Oh,  _ Vis _ ,” she sighs and looks up at him, vulnerability shining from her eyes. She holds out her hands and smiles, a brittle, beautiful thing, when he takes them. “Thank you.”

“I. . . oh, you’re welcome. If I have overstepped. . .?”

Wanda lets out a breath that could be a laugh or something else that he can’t quite define and he wishes he could parse this whole situation, make it something easier to understand and make sense of.

“You’re very sweet,” she says after what feels like an eternity of silence, “I don’t think I could ask for a better guardian while I sleep.”

Her hands are open in her lap and he crouches down by her again and places his over them, their fingers knotting together as though it is the most natural thing in the world.

“Stay?” She whispers and it’s possibly the sweetest syllable he has ever heard. “Stay with me? I don’t think I could sleep again now, anyway.”

Vision hums an affirmation and she tugs him up to sit with her on the bed, something that feels so intimate to him; but she scoots up, under the blanket and smiles shyly. He returns the smile and settles back against the headboard, clasping her hand in his, bringing it to his lips and kissing it softly; joy sparking inside him at her breathless little giggle.

“I wonder if there is something I could do to help you sleep?” He asks after a while and she curls against him, her head resting on his shoulder. He fancies she can hear his synthetic heart beating slow and steady.

She chuckles, “like what?”

“Well,” he reaches out and picks up the guitar that stands between her bed and her dressing table and she grins.

“You play?”

“I learned after hearing you, yes.”

“Play something for me?” Her voice is soft, her eyes inscrutable and her mouth quirked in a little half-smile that he treasures.

Vision lets go of her hand and tunes the guitar, plucking the strings until he is satisfied and finally begins playing a gentle tune that sounds like a lullaby; a charm to help Wanda drift into a dreamless slumber, his own kind of magic that twines around her in a wonderful cocoon; made better as his voice joins the music, a beautiful low baritone that warms her completely and makes her feel safer than she has in months -  _ years _ .

The song ends and he places the guitar back, looking down at Wanda.

Her head has slipped so it rests upon his chest and her eyes are closed as she breathes the slow breath of sound sleep.

He smiles, kisses the top of her head and wraps his arm around her shoulders.

Perhaps, when the daylight has chased away her fears and nightmares, they can share moments like this together, exploring the connection that is already so strong between them.

But for now, he is comfortable to watch over her. Tonight, and any other night she needs him, he will be there - her protector, her guardian.


End file.
